Learn how George Washington and other commanders reconstituted the Continental Army while wintering at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, during the American Revolution
Learn how George Washington and other commanders reconstituted the Continental Army while wintering at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, during the American Revolution
Learn how George Washington and other commanders oversaw the regrouping and retraining of the Continental Army while wintering at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, in 1777–78 during the American Revolution.
© Civil War Trust (A Britannica Publishing Partner)
Transcript
It is December 19, 1777. Now that means that the American Revolution has already been waging for over two and half years. It's been a year and a half since the Americans in Philadelphia had officially declared independence from the British at the Pennsylvania State House, which is Independence Hall today. Since then, things have not been going well for General Washington's army here in Pennsylvania.
The British up in New York City send an invasion fleet down into the Chesapeake. They land an army in Maryland. That army marches up into Pennsylvania. Its goal is to capture Philadelphia, the biggest city in America in those days, which was a sprawling metropolis of barely 30,000 people.
The British succeed, they defeat Washington at the Battle of Brandywine, one of the biggest battles of the war. They defeat a portion of his army at the Battle of Paoli. They capture two American forts, Fort Mifflin and Fort Mercer along the Delaware. And they're able to occupy Philadelphia.
Congress has fled, they're in exile over in Yorktown, today we call it York, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania's Executive Council, their rebel government, the state government, has fled as well. They're over in Reading right now. Thousands of other Philadelphia residents are now refugees out in the countryside.
Washington tries one last time to force the British out of Philadelphia before they're able to dig in by launching a surprise attack at Germantown, and fails, and is forced to retreat. The British are dug in, winter is setting in, the weather is getting worse, and Washington's army is exhausted. The men are tired. The equipment is worn out. Washington needs to find a place to regroup, refit, and plan his next move. And he chooses Valley Forge.
This location, this farming community out here named after an iron force that was located in a nearby valley, was only about 20 miles outside of the city of Philadelphia. Close enough to the British to contain them and bottle them up in the city and protect the countryside and its resources, but also just far away enough so if the British attacked they could see it coming. And on high ground that could provide a good defensive position.
And while this army is here, they have to struggle through difficult months of regrowth and rebuilding. Their supply system collapses, supply shortages, food, clothing, blankets become ever present. And disease runs rampant. This is one of the deadliest encampments of the war. More soldiers end up dying at Valley Forge than in any single battle during the revolution.
And yet this was also a much needed opportunity for Washington to reorganize the army and train and reform it using the assistance of other officers like General Knox, General Greene, General von Steuben. They proceed to do a top down restructuring of this Army. So by the time the army leaves Valley Forge months later on June 19, 1778, in spite of all the hardship, in spite of all the deaths that they encountered here, they are actually stronger, better trained, and better organized than they've ever been.
After they leave here, they chase the British through New Jersey and engage the British at the Battle of Monmouth. That is not the end of the war though. This war is going to wage for another five years. But a lot of the organizing and restructuring and reforms that they do here are going to allow this army to survive and continue for those next five years.
I really think Washington's greatest victory of this war was not the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. It's the fact that he was able to keep this army alive and functioning for eight years. That is the battle that he fought at Valley Forge. And it is why places like this are so important in that conflict story.
The British up in New York City send an invasion fleet down into the Chesapeake. They land an army in Maryland. That army marches up into Pennsylvania. Its goal is to capture Philadelphia, the biggest city in America in those days, which was a sprawling metropolis of barely 30,000 people.
The British succeed, they defeat Washington at the Battle of Brandywine, one of the biggest battles of the war. They defeat a portion of his army at the Battle of Paoli. They capture two American forts, Fort Mifflin and Fort Mercer along the Delaware. And they're able to occupy Philadelphia.
Congress has fled, they're in exile over in Yorktown, today we call it York, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania's Executive Council, their rebel government, the state government, has fled as well. They're over in Reading right now. Thousands of other Philadelphia residents are now refugees out in the countryside.
Washington tries one last time to force the British out of Philadelphia before they're able to dig in by launching a surprise attack at Germantown, and fails, and is forced to retreat. The British are dug in, winter is setting in, the weather is getting worse, and Washington's army is exhausted. The men are tired. The equipment is worn out. Washington needs to find a place to regroup, refit, and plan his next move. And he chooses Valley Forge.
This location, this farming community out here named after an iron force that was located in a nearby valley, was only about 20 miles outside of the city of Philadelphia. Close enough to the British to contain them and bottle them up in the city and protect the countryside and its resources, but also just far away enough so if the British attacked they could see it coming. And on high ground that could provide a good defensive position.
And while this army is here, they have to struggle through difficult months of regrowth and rebuilding. Their supply system collapses, supply shortages, food, clothing, blankets become ever present. And disease runs rampant. This is one of the deadliest encampments of the war. More soldiers end up dying at Valley Forge than in any single battle during the revolution.
And yet this was also a much needed opportunity for Washington to reorganize the army and train and reform it using the assistance of other officers like General Knox, General Greene, General von Steuben. They proceed to do a top down restructuring of this Army. So by the time the army leaves Valley Forge months later on June 19, 1778, in spite of all the hardship, in spite of all the deaths that they encountered here, they are actually stronger, better trained, and better organized than they've ever been.
After they leave here, they chase the British through New Jersey and engage the British at the Battle of Monmouth. That is not the end of the war though. This war is going to wage for another five years. But a lot of the organizing and restructuring and reforms that they do here are going to allow this army to survive and continue for those next five years.
I really think Washington's greatest victory of this war was not the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. It's the fact that he was able to keep this army alive and functioning for eight years. That is the battle that he fought at Valley Forge. And it is why places like this are so important in that conflict story.